A large percentage of motor vehicles employ wet-sump engine lubrication systems where a fluid pump is positioned to draw oil from an engine oil sump in order to provide circulation of pressurized oil throughout the engine. To that end, the fluid pump generally employs an oil pick-up tube that is submerged in the sump oil, intended to provide continuous supply of oil to the engine.
Vehicles employing wet-sump engine lubrication are sometimes used in racing. During a racing event, a vehicle may be called upon to perform various aggressive maneuvers, such as cornering, acceleration and braking, that may generate high g-forces. High g-forces encountered in racing, at times, may be sufficient to transfer engine oil from its usual distribution at the bottom of the sump to being concentrated in corners or near walls of the sump. Such transfer of sump oil may uncover the oil pick-up tube, which may lead the oil pump to ingest air and interrupt supply of oil to the pump. Ingestion of air by the pump pick-up tube may, in turn, lead to a significant drop in oil pressure provided to the engine.